Table Of ContentLecture Notes in Mobility
Beate Müller
Gereon Meyer Editors
Towards
User-Centric
Transport in
Europe 2
Enablers of Inclusive, Seamless and
Sustainable Mobility
Lecture Notes in Mobility
Series Editor
Gereon Meyer, VDI/VDE Innovation und Technik GmbH, Berlin, Germany
Lecture Notes in Mobility (LNMOB) is a book series that reports on the latest
advances in research, development and innovations for the intelligent, connected
and sustainable transportation systems of the future, comprising e.g.:
(cid:129) Electric and hybrid vehicles
(cid:129) Energy-efficient vehicles
(cid:129) Alternative and optimized powertrains
(cid:129) Vehicle automation and driver assistance
(cid:129) Clean and intelligent transportation systems
(cid:129) Interfaces with transportation networks and power grids
(cid:129) Mobility services
(cid:129) Business models
(cid:129) Public policy
LNMOB publishes edited conference proceedings, contributed volumes and
monographs that present firsthand information on cutting-edge research results
and pioneering innovations as well as new perspectives on classical fields, while
maintaining Springer’s high standards of excellence. Also considered for publica-
tion are dissertations and other related material of exceptionally high quality and
interest. The subject matter should be original and timely, reporting on the latest
developmentsinallareascoveredbythisseries.Concernsaboutclimatechange,air
quality and energy security have sparked a paradigm shift regarding the
transportation of passengers and goods. Vehicle technologies are now changing
radically towards higher energy efficiency and the use of alternative fuels. At the
sametime, transportationisincreasinglymanagedinasmartmanner,connectinga
multitude of modes and making use of a variety of energy sources. Moreover,
vehiclesarebecomingmoreandmoreassistiveandautonomous,whichwillleadto
evenhigherefficiency,fewerfatalitiesandmoreconvenience.Thesedevelopments
are to be supported by novel services, processes and value creation, as well as by
suitable public policies. LNMOB identifies the most promising conceptual work,
groundbreaking findings and innovations from the industrial engineers and
academic experts in this field. The overall aim of this series is the exchange of
ideas to strengthen the scientific community, to create new value chains and to
accelerate the move towards sustainable transportation systems (road, rail, water-
and airborne) around the globe. Public research funding programs in Europe,
America and Asia represent an important source of content. The selection of work
for publicationisdoneunder thesupervisionofaninternational scientificadvisory
board that brings together some of the most influential technology leaders and
scholars of our time. The target audience primarily consists of industry
professionals and academic researchers working at the forefront of their fields,
but the book series will also be of interest to advanced level and PhD students.
More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/11573
ü
Beate M ller Gereon Meyer
(cid:129)
Editors
Towards User-Centric
Transport in Europe 2
Enablers of Inclusive, Seamless
and Sustainable Mobility
123
Editors
BeateMüller Gereon Meyer
FutureMobility andEurope FutureMobility andEurope
VDI/VDE Innovation +Technik GmbH VDI/VDE Innovation +Technik GmbH
Berlin, Germany Berlin, Germany
ISSN 2196-5544 ISSN 2196-5552 (electronic)
Lecture Notesin Mobility
ISBN978-3-030-38027-4 ISBN978-3-030-38028-1 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38028-1
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Foreword
The path towards a truly user-centric and intermodal transport system in Europe
faces many challenges such as the implementation of novel transport solutions,
ensuring the accessibility of these solutions for all EU citizens as well as guaran-
teeingtheconsistencyofthesolutionswiththeenvironmentalobjectivesforclimate
protection.
Therefore, the Mobility4EU project1, a Coordination and Support Action of the
European Commission, employed a user-centric perspective and a participatory
framework to develop a vision for the future transport system in Europe 2030 that
wouldbeuser-centric,seamlessandsustainable.Allrelevantactorsfrominsideand
outside the transport sector covering all transport modes including international,
European and national stakeholders representing transport users, technology sup-
pliers, policy makers, transport service providers and research organisations had
been invited to participate in discussions at workshops and in surveys. The key
learnings for the development of a user-centric transport system has been that the
three pathways, inclusive, seamless and sustainable ideally interlink in synergetic
ways and that
(cid:129) universal design has to be employed in the development and implementation
phase of novel transport systems;
(cid:129) communities and planners have to be supported in exploring potentials of
co-creation for urban mobility planning;
(cid:129) MobilityasaService(MaaS)-likesystemsshouldbeimplementedtobuildtruly
integrated and seamless travel across Europe; and
(cid:129) the future mobility system needs to be developed in compliance with and
mutually supporting the sustainability requirements towards the transport
system.
1https://www.mobility4eu.eu/
v
vi Foreword
The work and discussions on user-centric methods and developments in the
project were driven by the lack of accessible transport, which prevents several
groups of society from enjoying basic rights, e.g. right to education, employment,
healthcare, etc. According to a study by the World Health Organisation, transport
was frequently cited as the main obstacle for people with disabilities to participate
in essential life activities2. Considering demographic ageing, it is expected that by
2020 approximately 120 million people in the European Union will have multiple
and/orminordisabilities3.Furthermore,itisnotonlypeoplewithdisabilitiesorthe
elderlywhowouldbenefitfromuser-centricdesign.Everybodybenefitswhenevera
transport vehicle orservice ismade accessible. For instance, low-floor buses make
transport usable not only for wheelchair users but also for people with different
disabilities,forparentswithstrollers,smallchildren,elderlypeople,andforpeople
with heavy luggage.
To achieve user-centric transport, the Mobility4EU Action Plan recommends
mainstreaming the method of universal design in the course of service and vehicle
developmentorresearchfromtheinitialtothefinalphaseofthedesign,sothatthe
final product would be accessible for every user4. If we translate the method of
universaldesigntotherealmoftransport,itreferstothedesignanddevelopmentof
any transport vehicle, infrastructure and service so that they can be accessed,
understoodandusedtothegreatestextentpossiblebyallpeopleregardlessoftheir
age,gender,size,abilityordisabilityetc.withouttheneedforadaptation.Universal
design would not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with
disabilities. A pre-condition towards a successful implementation of universal
design in the future transport system is the involvement of users from the onset
ofthedesigntothefinalproduct,aswell asthecollaboration ofstakeholdersfrom
all transport modes.
The papers, especially in chapter 2 of this book, address some practical appli-
cations and best practices of universal design in different contexts. These practices
prove that solutions that respond to the needs of all passengers do exist; therefore,
there is no excuse to create vehicles or transport services that are not inclusive of
everybody. The most effective way to find solutions that are accessible for all is
whendevelopersandusersworkcloselytogether,andtheexperienceofpassengers
is respected and utilized in the course of the design and development.
User involvement is also essential in transport planning, especially in urban
areas where the different interests of stakeholders lead to multiple conflicts in the
public realm. The lack of citizen participation in top-down planning approaches
often leads to sub-optimal solutions that are inconvenient or unaffordable for the
2WHO, World Report on Disability, 2011. Available at https://www.who.int/disabilities/world_
report/2011/en/
3Federico Álvarez García, Polytechnic University of Madrid, EasyTV: Easing the access of
Europeanswithdisabilitiestoconvergingmediaandcontent,Euroscientist,25July2019
4Story,M.F.,Mueller,J.L.,Mace,R.L.(1998):TheUniversalDesignFile:DesigningforPeople
of All Ages and Abilities. Revised Edition. Center for Universal Design, NC State University,
NewYork.Availableonline:https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED460554.pdf
Foreword vii
ultimate target groups i.e. citizens. Increasing participation in planning may have
many positive effects. Firstly, citizens may show more support for schemes which
were designed with their active participation. Secondly, policy makers can also
promote services and infrastructure that better serve the needs of communities,
therefore leading to increased satisfaction of citizens. While participation has been
on the agenda for several decades, there is still a long way to go to achieve full
participatory planning. Co-creation, for example, represents an advanced way of
citizen participation. Despite this, there have been only a few examples of
co-creation in transport planning, and the concept itself remains ambiguous. The
articles of chapter 1 in this book review recent and ongoing projects applying
co-creation inthetransport domain.Theseconcreteexamples provideinsights into
the benefits and obstacles of the development and implementation of locally
developedco-createdmobilitysolutions.Theyhighlightthepotentialforscalingup
low-cost but high-benefit mobility solutions that have been initiated, designed and
implemented by and with the local residents.
User-centric design is also important in order to put the several fragmented
piecesoftransportservicestogethertoalloweverycitizen totravelseamlesslyand
easilyfromanyplaceinEuropetoanotherinareasonabletimespanusingmultiple
transport modes, including active modes of transport. Citizens should be able to
book a single ticket valid for all trip segments even if the services are operated by
differentcompanies.Whenwecomparethisscenariowithtodays’transportsystem
in Europe, the picture differs a lot. A multitude of transport service providers in
each metropolitan area as well as transnational, long-distance operators of air, rail,
or road transport offer isolated services. Digital solutions for trip planning and
booking purposes are available but mostly limited to partial coverage of the entire
transport services available.
TheestablishmentofaMaaSsystemcouldbeonepotentialsolutiontoachievea
truly inclusive and seamless transport system in Europe. MaaS consists of the
combination of services from public and private transport providers through a
unified gateway that creates and manages the trip, which users can pay for with a
single account.
However,severalchallengesandbarriersariseonthewaytowardsthesuccessful
implementationofaMaaSsystem.Theseincludedatasharingissuesandreliability,
incentivesforusersaswellasforinvestors,andattractingacriticalmasstousethe
service.ThereforetheplanningandimplementationofMaaSrequirescollaboration
between allrelevantstakeholders.Discussions about therequiredelements suchas
a new legal framework, the implementation of technologies, and novel business
approaches based on best practices will enable a common view on the MaaS
system. The establishment of MaaS will be promoted through supporting the dia-
logue, especially in public transport and can be enabled by creating a common
agenda and vision among thestakeholderson European, national,and local levels,
and creating a data analytics and exchange framework.
Contributions in this book address potentials of viable business approaches for
seamless transport, as e.g. traffic-management-as-a-service, innovative sharing and
air mobility solutions in urban and peri-urban areas. Moreover, concepts to allow
viii Foreword
seamless cross-border travel or interoperable electro-mobility services indicate the
space of opportunities to solve current deficiencies.
The dialogue on solutions for inclusive, seamless and sustainable transport will
be carried on beyond the Mobility4EU project within the European Transport and
Mobility Forum (ETM Forum)5. The ETM Forum provides a platform to bring
together representatives of all relevant stakeholder groups across all modes for
passenger as well as freight transport. The ETM Forum is organised in working
groups addressing the focus areas of the implementation of universal design,
co-creation, and MaaS. The working groups are platforms where users and
developers can discuss the challenges to design a future seamless mobility system
accessible to everyone.
Mainstreamingtheuser-centricconceptintheactivitiesofworkinggroupsofthe
ETM Forum is essential. Just think of the recent developments of the autonomous
vehicles that are deemed to be of benefit for all citizens, regardless their age or
disability; or MaaS promising seamless travel for everybody. The members of the
working groups share good practices, which can be of immediate guidance for
developers and operators as well as policy makers. The outcome of these expert
discussions will provide a valuable source of guidance to create policy and legal
frameworks regarding universal design in the field of transport.
Everybody who is passionate about shaping the future transport system in
EuropeisinvitedtoparticipateintheForum,engageindiscussionsonchallengesas
well as potential solutions within the focus areas, and to connect with the other
members representing a wide range of transport stakeholders.
ImreKeserü,assistantprofessorandteamleaderforurbanmobilityattheMOBI
Mobility, Logistics and Automotive Technology Research Centre at the Vrije
Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Belgium
Member of the Board, Chairman Working Group on Co-creating our future
mobility system, European Transport and Mobility Forum (ETM Forum)
Marcia Urban, Researcher on air transport system dynamics, intermodal con-
cepts,andsustainabilityaspectsinthecontextoffuturetechnologiesintransportin
the economics and transportation department at Bauhaus Luftfahrt e.V., Germany
Member of the Board, Chairwoman Working Group on Viable business for
seamless transport, European Transport and Mobility Forum (ETM Forum)
Erzsébet Földesi, Independent consultant in universal design and disability
rights advocacy, Budapest, Hungary
Member of the Board, Chairwoman Working Group on Involving users in
R&D&I, European Transport and Mobility Forum (ETM Forum)
5http://www.etmforum.eu/
Preface
The public transport system of a city may appear disturbing or even scaring when
entering for the first time. The complex overlay of different train, metro and
monoraillines,eachwiththeirspecifictariffandtimetablestructures,interconnects,
and information systems are often overwhelming. The metropolitan region of
Tokyo, for example, may appear particularly difficult to navigate, while actually it
is the opposite: besides being fast and reliable, this city’s transport web is sur-
prisingly welcoming for foreign travellers: their staff are kindly anticipating the
visitor’s demands, and they are ready to give direction. The term Omotenashi is
describingtheunderlyingattitudeofhospitalityandservicethatisdeeplyimplanted
in the Japanese culture.
While the example of Tokyo is showing that a truly human and user-centric
perspective can make a difference in transport systems convenience and accessi-
bility, the reality is often the exact opposite all around the world. Transport is
usually designed for the many, but not for all, thus turning travel for people with
disabilities, butalsofor oldpeople,forpeoplewith little children andothersintoa
nightmare or even making it impossible. Often, transport systems let people
question whether it actually answers the mobility needs of the users.
Consequently, inclusiveness is one of the three development paths in the 2030
vision for transport that the EU-funded Coordination and Support Action “Action
Plan for the Future of Mobility in Europe” (Mobility4EU) recently explored—the
othertwoaresustainabilityandseamlessfunctionality.Whiletheprojectisfinished,
its work is carried on by the European Transport and Mobility Forum (ETM
Forum), a platform of experts discussing accessible, clean and multimodal future
transport solutions for people and goods. Within the ETM Forum, three working
groups have been established focusing on co-creation for mobility planning,
involving users in R&D&I and discussing MaaS applications, challenges and
opportunities.Thechairpersonsoftheseworkinggroupsareprovidingtheirtakeon
the issues in the foreword of this book.
Like the first volume “Towards User-Centric Transport in Europe: Challenges,
SolutionsandCollaboration”,thebook athandhasbeenpublished inthe“Lecture
NotesinMobility”seriesbySpringer. Itcomprisesacollectionofchapterswritten
ix
